River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1887-03-03
BARLEY As A SPRING cRor.

BARLEY As A SPRING CROP.
An Illinois correspondent OF the
Country Gentleman says: BARLEY re-
quircs, rs essential, clean land, strong
land. and land in frst-rate filth and
condition and containing 50 much we'll
digested plant food q, will enable il to
make that rapid growth so peculiar TO
its vegetation. In every ease for the
black soil the land for barley should
be corn-stubble. ploughed deeply in
the fall. and the surface stirred and
fined three or four inches deep in the
spring, as soon rs the frost is out ofthe
ground. The seed should be sown at
the rate of two and half bushels TO
the acre. and for this latitude, about
the middle Of April or not 50 early. A
hard frost win kill the germ. which
once dead, unlike oat, and wheat. viii
not start second time. At seeding. a
big crop is assured, if 800 to 400
pounds OF superphosphateS are sewed
broadcast or with the seed.
Heretofore half the value of barley
crops has been lost in the harvest, the
least discoloring from rain or dew
greatly lowering the grade on the mark
ct But thanks to the self-binder,
barley can be left to stand in the field
until fully ripe and then be cut, hauled
and stacked i'm the same day, and
threshed at convenience. The essential
points in growing barley, let me re-
peat, are the recognition that the veg
citation is very rapid, and therefore the
soil must be a deep and rich one; that
its capacity to stand draught and heat
in the after stages Of growth, Is far
superior to oats and wheat, and there
fore the seeding may be delayed until
all danger from spring frosts IS over;
that its radical system is "A weak one
when compared with oats and wheat,
md therefore the land must be not only
filthy but clean, and finally, when All
these conditions are conscientiously
met, the yield is equal to oats at their
best and the worth per bushel on the
marke a two to one
lfcultyators could be made founder
stand that, if they would fertilize with
the phosphates, spring wheat could be
grown anywhere where winter wheat
succeeds (the only difficulty being that
worn wheat soils are not rich enough
IN plant food to provide for that rapid
growth necessary for spring wheat to
make in hot or even warm climates),
there would be less demand for barley,
or some other rotation besides oats.
1t is not unlikely to require some
further years before barley will become
a crop dividing the empire Of the land
with corn and oats; but | am quite
sure such will be the case in less than
half generation. Ten years ago,
though white clover had had possess
ion. in common with blue grass. of
pastures. for twenty years red clover
was comparatively rare crop; but it
is now gaining ground at rapid pace,
and viii soon equal timothy in
area.
SCRATCHES IN HORSES.
There are two principal reasons for
the disease attacking thelimbs Of horses,
and called prairie-iteh. gromd-itch.
grease, etc. one reason is a too pletho-
ric condition of the horse from standing
in the stable without exercise, Another
is getting the limbs wet and muddy.
the body being heated, and then putting
the animal into a cold stable to shiyer
all night If in addition the limbs be
washed with water, under the erroneous
idea that il Is u kindness. or, what is
still more dangerous. cold water is DASH
ed on the limbs of the animal, trouble
is almost sure to follow The truepre-
yentiTe OF scratches when the animal
comes into the stable Is to clean the
limbs thoroughly with water-warm
water being preferable-and when the
limbs have been rubbed strongly for five
minutes encase thema as high they are wet
in flannel bandages. Common scratch
es are simply the result of want Of proper
care and cleaning. In the morning